Rating: 
Summary: A terrific follow-up to High Fidelity
Review: A wonderful story about two very different people -- one, a 12-year-old sheltered boy, the other, a 30-something avoider of life -- who come together and somehow learn enough from each other to improve themselves. By the end, one has lowered his walls and become engaged in life, the other hardens himself and becomes more respected by those around him. As with all of Hornby's writing, there is a great deal to laugh about in this book. But it is a more self-revelatory laugh, one in which you may not be laughing so much at the book's characters, as you are in recognizing one's own failings.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good
Review: "About a Boy" is not as consistently funny as "High Fidelity," but it's worth reading. Hornby proves again that he is the master of the male confessional. This is a fun book.
Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious
Review: This book probably offers better insight into the workings of the male mind than many a pop-psyche guide.Will, somewhat typical of the detached male, is caught between an attraction to the opposite sex and an inability to make any sort of commitment. In a creative attempt to meet women, and to achieve some sort of heroic status as a 'good guy', he poses as a single parent with an absent small child,and turns up to a meeting of the local group SPAT - Single Parents Alone Together. The tangled web of deceit generates not only many tensely amusing situations but also leads him to some sort of redemption. A marvelous read with some really perceptive observations of the contemporary dating scene, and the lives of single parents and children. I rate it better than High Fidelity, which possibly appeals more to male readers.
Rating:
Summary: About A Boy....Good Stuff
Review: I read Hornby's other novel. It was ok. This one is a wonderful book. Hornby knew Marcus and Will, the two main characters. They were real. I've met them on a daily basis before. Now I'll know them better. Frankly, I didn't expect to read one of the best novels I've read when I bought it, and I sure didn't expect to write this. After reading ABOUT A BOY I went to Amazon.com to see what else might be available. If you liked his other work, you'll love this.
Rating:
Summary: unique story, worthwhile read
Review: Set in London in the early 90's, 'About a Boy' tells a unique story about two people -- a lonely, ostracized boy (Marcus) and a wealthy, easygoing 36-year-old (Will) living off his late father's royalty checks and out to date single mothers. You'd think at first you wouldn't be able to relate to their unusual circumstances. The experiences that transform them don't happen to most people -- it's a success in itself that Hornby can merge such diverse (some just plain weird) events into one coherent story line. Through all this, both characters try to find a balance between independence (for a sense of completeness) and vulnerability (just enough to forge meaningful relationships but not too much that one would be incurably lonely) -- each character starting from opposite extremes. It's a theme that is both inspiring and universal. My only complaint about this novel is that some scenes could have been written more concisely. It is good writing overall, but some points are overstated. Told in the 3rd person, Hornby frequently writes both what the character says and what he/she feels. Sometimes needlessly, and it feels tedious. When Marcus hears a sarcastic remark (he doesn't understand sarcasm), it becomes exasperating to read about his confusion, then Will's reaction, their conversation including an obvious joke explained. Unfortunately, a time line of several months accommodates quite a number of sarcastic jokes. As a whole, 'About a Boy' is a great read. The story line is highly original, the characters are interesting, and their British slang expressions are cute. The novel is both inspiring and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and intelligent
Review: I love Nick Hornby. He's one of the best and funniest authors of our time. 'High Fidelity' will remain his masterpiece for now, but 'About a Boy' comes quite close. It's really different with two main characters now. Hornby is brilliant in developing characters, especially these two really unsual ones. At first a little boy who is so un-hip, he doesn't even now Kurt Cobain. And then a young man, who doesn't need to work, because he lives from his father's money. This are not quite stereotypes. Hornby's style is hilariously funny, but on the other hand it's very intelligent. He comes to conclusions, you wouldn't have thought of. And he is always surprising. You never know how his books end, and it's not different here. This is an absolutely wonderful book!
Rating:
Summary: Very funny and well-written
Review: One thing I look for in a book is the writing style of the author. Nick Hornby does a masterful job of depicting Will in this book- in the words of many writing professors I have come across, he doesn't "tell," he "shows." I loved this book, and the way it told a simple story, not just about a boy but about the man who came to love him in an odd sort of way. Though there is a "love interest" in the story, Hornby doesn't drop the relationship between Marcus and Will just to shift over to Rachel, as many authors would have done. Beyond being poignant, the book is extremely funny. Some authors, especially British ones, have the ability to show how life is funny . . . not in one-liners like Chandler on Friends, but through actual experiences that hit close to home. Hornby is one such author. I recommend this book, not because the story is so overwhelmingly original, but because it is so originally written. This novel is for people who like words; don't expect to come away from it with a brilliant insight on life, but expect to be pleasantly surprised and delighted by how an author can truly show.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but more than a bit syrupy
Review: Feel free to believe the Nick Hornby hype--well, some of it anyway. High marks for crafting a well-paced, entertaining character study here, despite the absence of any real plot. This is a skilled author who definitely knows what he's doing. I'm certain he had the screenplay in mind on every page, as well as the house in the country the royalties would bring him. Although a cut above American mass market novelists, it might only be the British angle that sets Hornby apart from his colonial counterparts. Luckily the author keeps his characters progressing by continually telling the reader of the exact personality changes taking place. I find it far too challenging to simply observe character development through words and actions. It will definitely help you forget about the uncomfortable seats on your next 2-hour plane ride, but so would a box of Twinkies and a couple beers. You choose your own poison.
Rating:
Summary: Funny but a little predictable
Review: Having read About a Boy shortly after finishing Hornby's first novel High Fidelity, I have to say that while I liked this book, it didn't live up to the lofty standards of Hornby's brilliant debut. Hornby again provides a mid-30's male slacker as a protagonist, who feels empty when between relationships but who remains in tune with contemporary pop culture. He even has the protagonist, Will, meet a date in Rob's imaginary record store from High Fidelity, Championship Vinyl, as a playful reference to his earlier book. In High Fidelity, Will stoops to attending single parent support groups to meet "Julie Christie-like" women who, if they didn't have kids, would not otherwise give him the time of day. It is a little reminiscent of Fight Club, but Will doesn't go there to share in their suffering in order to get out of a malaise - he is simply scamming for chicks. Through a complicated series of events which I will not give away, Will becomes entangled in the lives of 12 year old outcast Marcus, and his depressed single mother Fiona, despite the warning signs ringing in his head telling him to stay away. The book is slightly more predictable and less laugh out loud funny than High Fidelity, but Hornby's numerous wry observations about dating (ie Will's sense of when "sex is in the air") and his dead on dialogue make this a fun, quick read. Nirvana fans will also appreciate the numerous references to the band and to Kurt Cobain - his tragic suicide played a role in the plot indirectly. Even the name of the novel, About a Boy, I think is a play on the song "About a Girl" by Nirvana which was on their first studio album, as well as the first track on the famous Nirvana Unplugged CD. Will teaches Marcus, his student of pop culture, all about Nirvana as well as lessons on the right shoes to wear (Adidas), the proper haircut (definitely not a cut by mom), etc. I thought some of the characters in the book were fairly unremarkable - other than Marcus and Will none of them are explored well enough to really get a sense of them as people. We know Marcus' mother Fiona is depressed, but Hornby glosses over why. Marcus meets an outcast older kid at school and befriends her, but we never really know why the older girl takes an interest in Marcus and why she is always so angry with everyone else. Unlike High Fidelity, where the supporting characters (like Barry and Dick) were half the fun, here the bit players are just kind of along for the ride. In any event, Hornby on his off days is better than most contemporary fiction written by anybody else, and oftentimes in this funny yet serious novel he touches on real emotions and issues like alienation, parental responsibility, and the nature of freindship that elevate this book to a 4 star level. For fans of High Fidelity there is much here you will like.
Rating:
Summary: Laugh Out Loud...and fabulous!
Review: I picked up About a Boy after having read Horby's popular High Fidelity and didn't put it down until I had finished. It was laugh out loud entertaining. Horby also develops his characters so well that I felt like I knew everyone from a prior life. This book is fabulous!
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